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Cameron & BJ Arnett on Choosing Christ Over Career
June 9, 2026 · 33 min
Series Pray TV June 9, 2026 · 33 min · Pray TV
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0:00 When I met Cameron and BJ Arnett, beautiful actors that have been in Hollywood for years but have chose Christ over career, I fell in0:12 love with these people. They are now spokespeople for America Reads the Bible. April 18 through 25, as we gather the nation to read the word of God, to proclaim the word of God over our communities and0:23 neighborhoods on Great American Pure Flix, they're helping me mobilize people around this country to do exactly that. You've probably seen Cameron in over 84 films that he's been a part0:35 of, specifically the Forge movie that was a nationwide explosive movie last year on discipleship mentorship, an amazing movie that both Cameron and BJ0:47 were a part of. They're actually married. The people that were in the movie are actually married in real life. You don't want to miss this interview with Cameron and BJ Arnett, our national spokespeople for0:59 America Reads the Bible. It is explosive. Don't go away. Here at Christians Engage, we are on a quest to see every American Christian take1:11 stewardship of their life, their nation, and this generation. Can you imagine a world where every Christian in this country did 3 simple things? Pray,1:23 vote, and engage. And what if we did those ongoing? It would totally shift our nation. That's what we're doing here at Christians engaged. Over the last 5 years, we've built a1:34 standing army of Christians that are saying, I want to pray, vote, and engage ongoing and be leaders in my community. We're just getting started folks. Here at Conversations with1:46 Christians engaged, join us every week as we take you in-depth in interviews with government officials, ministry leaders, subject leader experts to awaken and empower you to do1:58 those 3 things ongoing. I'm Bunny Pounds. I'm the president and founder of Christians engaged. I spent 16 years in political consulting working for members of congress and other candidates before2:10 starting this ministry. And my cohost, Ben Quine, our biblical worldview expert and our vice president, come on a journey with us every week. We're here to help you pray, vote,2:22 and engage. Hey, guys. I'm so glad you're with us for Conversations with Christians engaged. I am2:33 thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to have some of our national spokespeople here for America Reads the Bible. When I met these 2 beautiful people, I was like, I love them. And I know you love them2:45 too. Stars from the Forge movie and so many other Christian movies and has an amazing ministry. Cameron and BJ Arnett. Thanks guys for being on the show with2:57 me today.2:58 Well, thanks for having us. We are very happy to be here.3:00 We are, we are.3:03 Well, I know so many people know you from the Forge and other, projects that you guys have done. But give us a little bit of the background. How did you guys get into the creative world?3:15 How did all that start?3:17 Wow. Well, you know, I tell people all the time that this kind of career, the arts and entertainment, you know, those kind of things, chose me personally twice because before this, you know, now I'm doing it only3:29 for Christ. You know, I was in the secular realm in Hollywood and doing all those kind of things, movie of the weeks, you know, all that kind of And, basically, it was while I was doing that, by that time, I had become a3:39 Christian when I was in Hollywood, and I got offered, you know, the my my 1st television series. You know, I I I went to an audition and got the role and everything else, but then they wanna be a dude partial body3:51 nudity. And, of course, because of being a Christian, I couldn't do that. And once I said no, all hell broke loose, lost everything. You I mean, from the top to the bottom. And, so I left Hollywood4:03 and I never thought I'd be doing this again. And my wife and I, we were, you know, actually here in Atlanta started pastoring. Mhmm. And we pastored for almost 2 decades and God himself called us back into the film and4:14 entertainment. And that's really why we're here because we know this is God, something that he decided for us to be in and do in the process. And so it's been phenomenal just following him and saying yes and watching4:26 what he does.4:27 It's been so fantastic to see my husband, hear from God. Let me tell you the secret behind him doing this. He did not want to come back4:39 to Hollywood, but he wanted to stay behind that pulpit. But what God did was God gave him a dream, planted that dream in him every single night for like4:51 10 days, and then sent me on a journey to a ladies tea to give him a confirmation word in such an interesting way. I'm going to the ladies tea, I hear the Lord say,5:03 Who you want is so and so. Who you need is Cameron Arnett. I was like, What, Lord? What?5:08 What does that mean?5:10 What does that mean? When I got into the ladies tea, the woman said, we've produced our 1st number 1 film. We love it. We've5:21 a book, I mean, and we want so and so.5:26 To play the5:27 The lead. Yeah. I was like, oh, okay, God, Who you want is so and so. Who you need is Cameron Arnett. I went back home and told this man. He looked at me like I had 300 heads.5:39 He walked away. I'm sure he rolled his eyes.5:42 Well, all I thought was, you know, Hollywood. It's insidious. It's crazy. You know? And I had no desire to go back to that. And so when she said they wanted me to do the film, I'm like, I'm not going back to that.5:54 I love preaching the word of God, teaching the word of God. I love watching people come alive. I love people really understanding who he really is, getting a relationship, and I was extremely happy in the 4 walls of6:06 the pulpit. And I'd never thought I'd be doing anything else. And it took god short, give me that dream, right, after she comes with the announcement. Give me that dream. And at the end of those 2 weeks,6:18 he says to me, it's me. I want you to go. So go. And I went to the audition, and I ended up getting that role. As a matter of fact, the role that I was auditioning6:30 for was exactly the guy that God was giving me in the dream. It was exactly the same character. And I realized that God was showing me in my dream that this is who he wanted me to play, and this is6:42 why he wanted me to play that role. And that was the beginning of everything. And now, gosh, almost 80 to6:49 85 85 later6:52 Yeah. Of God giving me what he wanted me to have, it's just been it's you know, I would say it's surreal only because, you know, it's so hard to believe, but I only believe it because I know that God7:04 said it and I'm the 1 who's living it out.7:06 So It's it's been a tremendously gratifying ride to see God literally move us from 1 thing to the next. And like, we we we7:17 literally pinch each other and go, like, we'll be sitting on the couch watching, know, television and we'll go, do you believe what God has done in our lives?7:26 I mean, it has since 20 13, it has been a phenomenal, phenomenal ride, overwhelmingly, supernatural Yes. In how he does what he does. Because7:37 even after I got that 1st role, I still had to say, you know, Lord, you know what this did to me before, you know where I where I was, you know, or or what happened in my life. If it's really you, give me what you want7:47 without me having to audition, which is like saying, don't want to work. And so God did the impossible. And the only 1 that I really had to audition with, for rather, was that 1st film. And then when I was doing7:59 was it Overcomer?8:00 When you were doing Overcomer.8:01 They brought me in to see what I would do with the role, but it was really already mine when I when I walked in. And so I've only really had to audition for that 1st role, and God has given me everything ever since. And8:11 normally while I'm doing 1 thing, another8:14 We get another.8:15 Or, you know, already on on the books as far as me having to go to. So that's what it's been like. And and I didn't know at the time that God was actually expanding the pulpit because now I speak8:26 internationally. Mhmm. You know? And so even that was something that, you know, I by the grace of God, he got me to put back into his hands because I really thought that he was shutting that down. And it was like the8:38 passion of my life is to to teach the word of God. And so even with doing the films, that's wonderful. I love it. I enjoy it. But it's because I know it's what God wants me to do that is actually a a thrill in my8:50 life. But the real thrill is teaching the word. Well,8:55 I'll tell you when I saw I've seen several shows that you've been in, but when I saw the forge specifically, it's almost like you it's weird. It's almost like you can discern that the actors in different9:07 shows are really those people in real life.9:09 Yeah.9:10 I felt that with you guys specifically. But I've never had a a moment in a movie, maybe outside of Amazing Grace, my 1 of my favorite movies of all time of William Wilberforce. Yeah. I9:22 had the same experience. Yeah. Love that movie. I I like had this moment in the movie theater where I just start bawling at the end of it. Well, I had several moments like that with The Forge. It was9:34 like because this is the call to the American church. To be mentors and disciplers and fathers and mothers of the faith. And that's what I love about9:46 you guys. Because you go beyond the film industry into every part of society. And you know, whether it's the church or fashion or whatever, you're in it. So tell us a little bit, BJ, about9:57 the vision of the ministry, which is Christ Over Career. And what you guys do with your whole life because it goes beyond just the entertainment world.10:06 You know, it's kind of funny that, you know, as he was telling his story, from California, really that is where God started Christ Over Career. When he made the10:18 decision to put the pin down from a multi million dollar contract as the star of his own series, because he could not do partial body nudity.10:31 That was the decision of Christ over career. Now let's fast forward. Don't know how many years?10:39 Gosh, almost10:41 20. Almost 20, yeah. And we're going down the red carpet for another film that he was in. And a reporter said, listening, she was10:53 listening to another reporter. She said to him, you chose Christ over your career. And at that moment, we kind of looked at each other and went,11:05 oh my God.11:06 Yeah, and it kind of took a life of its own. It did. We realized, I didn't know at the time, God was having me seed my career for a later date. You know, He had me sow it and I I11:18 thought I was just giving it up because I couldn't do I couldn't violate my relationship with the Lord. And so because of that, I left Hollywood, left everything behind, and never thought I'd be doing it again, went into11:29 the full time ministry, we pastored, and all those kind of things that I that was way beyond behind me. And when it came back up again, I thought it was Hollywood trying to, take me away from the11:41 Lord, you know, and it took God himself to let me know that it was Him. And so that was the beginning of the ministry, even though we didn't know it at the time. Right. And it wasn't until after coming back11:53 into the whole Christian setting and doing all these films and being interviewed, and it was actually a secular, interviewer that realized you chose Christ over your career. And it it it stuck, and that12:05 named the ministry. Mhmm. But what was done way back in California was exactly what this is all about. It's about getting the church calling the church back to the lordship of Jesus12:17 Christ, putting him and keeping him at the helm of every decision, which means that he is now lord so that he can be savior. Most people want him to be savior, but they they don't understand unless he can be lord of your12:29 life, lord of the situation, lord of your decision, lord of your process, He can't save you from the pitfalls of life. And it's not just being saved and going to heaven, it's about being saved and saved and12:41 saved and saved from what the enemy would try to lure you money and anything else, and God can save you because now you're going to listen and obey Him at every step of12:52 the way. You're going to inquire of Him every step of the way.12:56 When you look at all facets of what we do, we're in the academic sphere, we're in the fashion sphere, we're in the communications13:08 producing, directing, entrepreneurship, business, all of those areas every day, there's a challenge. Are you going to choose Christ over your career? Are you going13:20 to take the bigger contract that you know is not edifying your father?13:26 Or you're not going keep your word to somebody that you already spoke to and now here comes another contract?13:29 And here comes another13:30 You know, those kinds of things every day there's an option.13:36 Every day we make13:37 Every day.13:37 Decision and we stick to it. We made a decision some 28 years ago, just as we were recording that the word of God13:49 was going to be how we lived our life. Period. If it said it here, this is what we were going to And Christ over career reminds us every day that every shift, every14:01 turn, that's what it is.14:04 So good. I remember when my friend, Todd Terry, who's also an actor, who you all know, been in amazing movies. Todd introduced us. And I said,14:16 who should we get to read the Bible? And who should we get to speak on behalf of this movement? And he said, Cameron and BJ Arnett. I'll never forget it. And he goes, I will connect you. And we just started talking14:28 about the word of God and discipleship. And you guys connected to this idea that now has 4 50 people, national leaders, reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation,14:39 proclaiming it over our nation as 1 body, Protestants, Catholics, charismatics, reformed, black, white, Hispanic, Asian. Got a couple native Americans14:51 reading. I mean, it's gonna be amazing. But I want to hear from both of you. Why did you connect with that vision? And why are you a part of America Reads the Bible and willing to15:03 even tell people on media about what we're doing?15:06 I I she just said it. You know, we we decided that the word of God is our final authority. It's all about the word. You know, the word is God. And the word that15:18 we speak, the word that we read, the word that he is is is life. You know? You know, even, you know, Peter understood to say, hey, where are we gonna go? You have the words of life. Right? And the word of God is the word15:29 of life. And so to be involved where our heart already is in tune with him in Christ over Korea to be involved in a way of calling the nation15:41 Mhmm. And the nations, right, to the word of God. What a privilege. You know, what what would we not want, you know, to Right. How could we stay away?15:53 Right. You know?15:54 It's the opportunity to what the word of God is saying. It's not separation. It's coming together to16:06 speak what he said. There's no other conversation but what the word of God said. And you just said it. You said we have Protestants, we have this, we have this, we have this, we have this.16:18 The word of God gives us an understanding of what our heavenly lives look like.16:25 Mhmm. And I I think for us too, you know, we we are part and parcel of it in that we have seen how the Word of God has transformed us individually and transformed us our16:37 marriage collectively, you know, and so you end up wanting to give to other people the goodness that you've received. You know, you want it. We're not special people. We're not better than we're not greater than. We just16:48 happen to be people who decided 1 day that this world is going to be how we live and we saw and have experienced and are experiencing the benefit of it. And so we want everybody, we want the17:00 nation to understand and to receive and to experience the benefit of actually adhering to this word, and which is what God's intent for each and every 1 of us.17:12 Well, can't thank you both enough. Your voices being helping us amplify this movement has meant so much already. And we're just getting started. We've got, you know, 4.5 months of this adventure And17:24 and I know that God is gonna blow by his holy spirit on the things that we have built at this point. And and move upon our nation in a special way. If you were counseling, and this17:36 is a question for both of you again. If you were counseling an individual Christian, you know, and when we talk about the American church, we're talking about the body of Christ. The people in the American church17:48 that, you know, frankly, we're struggling in a lot of ways. Whether it's the way we do church, or the way we interact with God, or legalism, or, you know, differences of opinion,18:00 or conflict, or leadership crisises. If you are counseling an American Christian to break out of complacency and find their life18:12 in the word of God, how would you counsel them? What's your exhortation to American Christians right now? I guess is my question.18:21 I think that goes back to our 20, almost 28 years ago when my husband put the Bible in between us as we were sitting on the steps. This is the final authority.18:33 Okay, let's grab a hold of that folks. This is the final authority. The will and way of God is right here. Once you abandon the18:45 world's perspective and grab a hold of that all by yourself, you feel that surge of who he is. And then to be able to come18:57 together with other brothers and sisters in Christ, this is my husband yet it is my brother. So it becomes something amazing and overwhelming. So19:09 why not be overwhelmed by the will and way of God?19:12 By the goodness.19:13 By the goodness of19:14 The Bible says that it is by his goodness that He brings all men to repentance. And so God only has goodness to give you. The way that He gives you that goodness by you obeying that word and Him19:26 confirming the word with signs following. And so the thing about it though, and I think when it comes to the fact of discipleship and mentoring and training somebody is to make them understand,19:38 you have lived all your life, however old you may be, you have lived all your life doing it a different way, doing it a churchy way, doing it a legalistic way, or even not doing it his way at all19:49 I know.19:49 As far as not knowing him.19:50 Right.19:51 And so don't have the expectation that immediately everything is gonna be hunky dory and it's like no problems, whatever. No. What God does is he gives you a new heart20:02 and he begins to now teach and train you how to be his child. You it's almost like you've never walked before. You you you something happened to your legs. You have to go to therapy and it it and and and the the the20:13 therapist brings you to the place of being able to walk again. It's not like you've never experienced walking before, but now you have to relearn. And so being born again is that you have to learn for the 1st time what20:24 it's like to be a child of God, which means that he's going to unravel everything that you put together that you thought was right. And so before you ever see20:36 the end result, all of what you want, there's a removal of all the things that offend so that he can actually give you the life that he intended. Now there'll be certain things that change20:48 immediately, but the salvation of the continual salvation happens little by little. Mhmm. You know? And and the little by little is is how long does it take for you to obey him? Yes. You know what I'm21:00 saying? He's willing to do it all at once if you obey him all at once.21:03 Right.21:03 But even in the obeying him all at once, there's unraveling. There's a taking away. There's a what looks like loss so that you can actually get the gain. And I think what happens with the saints sometimes that they did21:15 they don't outlast the unraveling. They see all this stuff falling away and people leaving them and this happened here, and and they think it's actually God that they did something wrong. No. It's you you're finally21:26 doing something right. Mhmm. And God is removing everything that you thought was right and giving you what he knows is right, and you're gonna have to continue to make Christ over career. You have to make continue to21:37 make a God sized decisions, you know, in obediences that now ravel correctly what god intended. He can take you from from death to life. And that's21:49 what I would want people to understand. Once you start making godly decisions, it's going to look like all hell breaks loose, but it's actually hell being taken away from you, that you can have22:01 heaven, but you have to outlast that and you have to know that's what's going on.22:08 I think we lose some things in translation in the American church where we think God's all about our happiness. And we're not realizing that the goal of salvation, I say salvation not22:20 as moment in time where we just become born again, but salvation that is being producing sanctification in our life. Right? The real goal of our life is Christ22:31 likeness for us to be as Jesus. And that's painful sometimes. Right? We have to be pruned. We have to have our mind renewed to the word of God. And so22:43 what we're hoping with America Reads the Bible is we have the word of God that's going out on the airways through Great American Pure Flix that can be literally put22:55 on every family room's TV, every church congregation, every business in this country, the oil change places, right? Could have the Bible being read for23:07 7 days if they wanted. Doctor's offices, etcetera. But when the word itself is being proclaimed, the word says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word. What happens just by the reading of the word23:19 is faith starts to rise in our hearts and we have to grab a hold of that. So my final question to you guys, and then we'll give everybody your website so they can find you. Is this,23:31 how would you encourage people to either come to DC and be a part of this America Reads the Bible in Washington and be a part of this celebration of the 250th birthday23:42 with us? And or use the live stream in their communities to share the gospel? Why? Why is this important for every believer that's listening to us to take this moment in our in our23:54 nation's history and use it for the glory of God?23:56 Well, 1st of all, if you're if you're a Christian, you have to understand God is employing you to bring His word to the nation and the nations. He said, if ask of me, I'll give you the nations as your inheritance.24:08 Mhmm. God is actually making a proposal to us as Christian and saying, look, I want to use your voice. I wanna speak my entire word at at once24:20 to the nations, and I want to do it through you. I'm I'm handing you a privilege of a moment in time. This is history being24:32 made, and it's recorded on earth and it's recorded in heaven. And he's employing us to be a part of that. To say yes to that is to possibly24:44 be here for the time such as this that God intended for your personal life. And for you to not let that happen is to miss a part of the moment of God with you that he24:55 intends to use to invade the earth with goodness, with With righteousness. You know? And so I I hope people understand the power of that and the,25:07 the greatness of of of the awesomeness of God choosing you out of billions of people to use that, to use this for his glory. I I'm25:19 I'm you know, we're humbled by it.25:20 We're humbled and and excited. And this moment25:24 Yeah.25:24 Is a mark in time.25:25 Yeah.25:26 It's it's It is historic. There has never been this.25:33 And that the technology and everything falls into place where this can be done, the Bible says that when he comes, everyone will see him. And so this technology also allows25:44 everyone to hear him. And man, we're chosen to do that. Wow. I'm grateful.25:54 Yeah. I'm getting a little weepy listening to you guys because it is such a deep thing what we're doing together, to allow the word to penetrate our nation. I mean,26:06 I believe when people hear governors and cabinet members and not just elected officials, but business people that they respect and actors and all26:18 of these people literally saying as they are approaching the stage through their presence, I need the word every day and you need the word every day as American citizens. What a26:29 powerful statement we're making together. And I just want to say thank you to both of you for being a part of this journey with me. It really is a deep honor. And sorry, it26:41 really is a deep honor to have you a part of this. So BJ, tell everybody how they can find Christ Over Career and connect with you guys on multiple levels, not just this event.26:54 I look, I'm gonna start at the top.26:58 Man, well, you all you have to do is go to Cameron Arnett dot com and you'll find Crash of Korea. You'll find a piece of everything that we do. Or you can go ahead and follow us. You know, go to bjarnett dot com as well.27:10 And you can find Crites Over Korea. Everything that we are part of is really part and parcel of the And so cameronett dot com, bjarnett dot com. Can go ahead and follow us on27:22 IG cameronnetactor, Facebook cameronnetactor. And so all of that is part of what we do. Again, we're so grateful to be a part of it all and watching27:33 God connect us with you, with all the the the saints that are a part of this, and all the people that, whether they call it Christ Crea or not, have made Christ over Crea decisions because that's27:45 why they are in the in the place of where they are because they've decided, you know what? I may be called to be to to to politics. I may be called to business, but I'm not gonna do it outside of God's way.27:57 And because of that, they've had to go through so much pruning, as you say, but at the end of it all, it's God getting the glory and them being able to make the impact and the change in people's lives that that they're28:08 making. So, you know, kudos to to all the people that have, decided to do that and are living that way Yeah. And are now part of and, of this unified body and and being able to read the word of God to the28:20 nation.28:20 Yes. Indeed.28:21 We're28:22 we're we're we love it. We're excited about it. Oh, we also are on, IG. Yeah. So BJ. BJA today.28:31 BJA today.28:32 I had to remember. See I needed him to remember that 1.28:35 BJA today, that's right.28:38 So follow the Arnettes because you don't want to miss any project they're working on guys. You don't want to miss anything. And we're thrilled again, as you were talking, I'll close with this.28:50 I was thinking 8 years ago, I ran for Congress and I had this horrible failure, right? I felt like I failed losing a runoff for Congress after 1429:01 years of political consulting. And and in that moment, I had a choice. God, did you just change my direction for a reason? And I and I made a choice in the next, you know, year29:13 after that to choose Christ over my career. Right? To launch a ministry called Christians engaged.29:19 Amen.29:20 And the fact that we're sitting here today even talking and this week, Cameron, Candace Cameron Bure is signed on to do the forward to my29:32 book that's coming on, on the leadership of Nehemiah. Awesome. And the fact that we're even here today is because we have made choices in our life that I hope benefit the people around29:43 us. I just want to encourage everybody listening to us. This is not just about an event. This is about a redirection. 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